Before They Were
by Kage3
Summary: What happens when you throw together a FUTURE Corporation President, Optimistic Kickboxer, Silent Maniac, 1st Class Soldier, Unknowing Copycat, Friendly FlowerGirl, and Drunken Bodyguard? Hilarity and Cuteness ensue! Nursery time for a few favorites!


A/n: And then there was a change! Hello guys, I'm back. After some serious thought, I'm starting a new fic from the request of a few friends, to name a couple, GeneralQuistis and English Raine. Now, on with the show!

Disclaimer: Am I allowed to claim the characters when they're babies? Before they became the wonderful people they are today? 'Cause those aren't mine, they're Square's.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Dammit Clarice, do you think I had the time to hire a nanny during _my_ workday? Why didn't you do it?" A red faced man angrily spat at his calmer looking wife.

"I couldn't, Reginald. I work too, you know, and I was handling the Sector 2 Mako project today. It's our biggest one yet, dear, you know I was as busy as you. But we have to leave him with _somebody_. And no, I will not leave him with the Turks. They are good guards, but they are _not_ babysitters. Listen, let's check the town and see if there are any local nurseries." Clarice, a tall beauty with piercing blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair, walked to the nearest phone.

"But Clarice, he's a ShinRa, I don't want him to be a social failure! What if those commoners make him… clean up after himself?"

Clarice rolled her eyes. "Reginald, he's almost five years old. It'll be good for him to play with other children for once." She dialed a number, and soon they had their plans set.

"Clarice, are you ready to go yet? We're going to be late, woman! I need to be in Midgar by six, and it's already four fifteen! This business trip is not starting well." Reginald ShinRa, the president of ShinRa Electric Co. stood waiting for his wife. Age twenty six, he was in his prime, company just getting to be a worldwide operation and already making him millions. He was a proud young man, tall and stout, with pale blue eyes and light blonde hair. Always a strong business man, he need a family to complete his reputation, and with what he had, he could not ask for anything better. He had a rich beauty for his wife and a healthy young son on the first try. But he was a charmer nonetheless, and usually on business trips, he left his wife and son behind, leaving him free to visit a recently completed Honey-bee Inn.

But this time, it required the presence of his wife Clarice, for there was her work on Sector 2, and there was a socialite ball to attend. Clarice was crucial for him to look good for the land owners and authority figures there were standing in the way of his building more Mako reactors.

"Just a minute dear, I'm trying to get Rufus dressed." And then Clarice walked into the room, holding their four year old son. She had dressed him in small khaki pants and a smart looking polo shirt, and put brown boots on his little feet. She'd seen they way other rich people had dressed their children, and she thought they looked ridiculous. She always mad sure that Rufus had sensible clothing on. "Alright, let's drop Rufus off, and we'll be on our way."

They ventured into Nibelheim square and shortly arrived at the day care center where their son would be staying.

Rufus' mother walked to the nearest caregiver. "Hello, I'm Clarice ShinRa; I'm here to drop off my son for a few days."

The girl looked at a binder that she held which had the names of the children writing inside. "Right ma'am. Rufus, right? Aw, he's precious!" The girl cooed over the four year old.

Clarice gave a proud smile and continued. "I'd like to see where he'll be sleeping."

"Oh, of course ma'am." The caregiver led the ShinRa's into a hallway. "We usually have the most children during the day, but when we have over-nighters, they stay in one of these five rooms. She opened a door. "All the rooms are the same, with two cribs, so only two children to a room. That way if one baby gets fussy, we can take them into another room so the other child won't wake up. Every room is equipped with a baby monitor, which we each have. When we have over-nighters, we take shifts staying up to listen to the baby monitor, so all children are under equal protective care."

Clarice, looking semi-satisfied, handed Rufus gently to the girl. "That should do. Just take care of my Rufus. He can be temperamental, so I'm not quite sure how he will act with other children. We should be back in about three days. Goodbye now, Rufus. Behave."

The boy's eyes widened, but he didn't cry.

Reginald rolled his eyes. "Let's go, Clarice, We're going to be late!" The couple left hastily, leaving the heir to ShinRa behind.

Rufus looked up at the caregiver, slight confusion in his bright blue eyes.

Captivated by those eyes, the caretaker, known as Lena, gave an involuntary sigh. "You, Mr. ShinRa, are adorable!" She attempted to tickle him, but the boy just looked at her like she was crazy for touching him in such a way. Quirking an eyebrow, Lena brought Rufus into the playroom with five other children. Lena counted off the children to make sure all were accounted for. She put him down to let him explore a bit.

Rufus stood for a moment, looked around, spotted something and started to toddle toward it.

A little girl of about three years was sitting and playing with a bright red truck. She had long brown hair which was tied back with a white bow.

Rufus stopped in front of her, malice in his blue four year old eyes. And, with all the big-ness he could muster, he uttered one of the first words he's ever learned: "_MINE!" _Instantly he grabbed the toy and ran, sitting in the opposite corner of the room.

The girl didn't cry, just merely stood up, toddled over to where Rufus was sitting, and promptly punched him in the face.

Rufus stared up at the girl incredulously, surprised. He'd never been hit before, especially by a girl.

Lena cut in, seeing both of their misdeeds. "Rufus! You don't take things from people! Tifa, you don't hit! You both get a time out."

Rufus, who didn't know what this 'time out' thing was, glared hard at the little girl.

Tifa glared right back, but mumbled a word. "Sowwy."

Lena looked at Tifa. "Good girl, thank you for saying you're sorry. Rufus, what do you say?"

Rufus didn't say anything, he didn't know what sorry meant; he'd never heard the word before.

But before she could punish the two, a loud scream erupted from another corner of the room, a red faced, black haired child the source of all the noise. "Miss Wena! Cwoud is bein' a copycat, and he won't stop!"

"Alright Zack, quit screaming, you know better than that." The poor caregiver rushed over to Zack and Cloud, the latter of which had big grin on his face. "Miss Lena, I dunno what he's talkin' about, 'cause I was doin'all those things on my own. He jus' happened to do the same things! I think _he's_ copyin' _me_!" Cloud pointed at Zack.

Zack's face turned even redder. "Nu-uh! Miss Wena!" He whined, getting a bit frustrated.

"Boys, settle down. Now Cloud, why don't you go play with Sephiroth? He's all alone over there. Zack, why don't you go help Aerith pick up toys by the big play house, ok?"

Both boys nodded, Cloud a little more enthusiastic.

Lena looked around the room, counting the children. Cloud, whose parents were camping, was only going to be here for one night. He skipped toward Sephiroth, another one-nighter. Aerith was only here for the day, her mother dropped her off while she shopped for sensible clothing, which was hard to find where they came from. Zack was here because his family was helping to build a new Mako reactor near their village, and they couldn't watch him for a week. Sephiroth, a strangely named kid, was dropped off shortly before Rufus; an old man in lab coat dropped him off hastily, rating about having to take care of a problem. Tifa was a regular, her mother was sick, and her father was working hard to afford her medicine. Cloud was another regular, although it was mainly for him to play with the other children.

They were the only residents of Nibelheim besides Rufus, who nobody knew much about. Everyone knew that ShinRa was going to be big, but no one knew it was going to be a planet-wide operation. ShinRa was slowly placing Mako reactors near each town, city, or village, and was collecting energy bills from everyone who used that precious Mako. Some people feared that the company was growing too powerful too fast, and that would make them power hungry. What they didn't know was how right they would soon be.

Lena looked at her watch. "Ok kids, time for snack!"

OoOoOoOoOoO

A/n: Well, whaddaya think for the first chapter? Is Ruffie sooooooooooooo adorable as a kid? Awwwwwwwwwwwwww… More soon! Please review! I need constructive criticism to get better:)


End file.
